Freezing tray



Sept. 30, 1941. A, HABEN FREEZING TRAY Filed Sept; 30, 1957 V Emma/whoa Acea R. H abe n l atentecl Sept. 30, 1941 2,257.317' FREEZING my Acea R. Haben, San Antonio, Tex asslgnor of one-half to Scobey Fireproof Storage Company, San Antonio, Tex, a corporation of Texas Application September 30, 1937, Serial No. 168,463

6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in freezing trays.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved tray for receiving food products to be frozen which is so constructed as to facilitate the freezing of said products.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved trays or containers for holding packaged food products, the trays being stacked one above the other in tiers and placed in the path of and subjected to refrigerated air, whereby the contents of the packages may be rapidly frozen by the so-called convection method.

A particular object of the invention is to provide improved trays or containers for receiving packaged food products to be quick-frozen which may be stacked in tiers and which are constructed so that elongate ducts or passages are formed therebetween whereby refrigerated air may pass between the trays to more rapidly freeze the contents of said packages.

A further object ofthe-invention is to provide improved trays or containers for packaged food products to be subjected to quick-freezing processes, the trays being formed with vertical metallic spacer plates which extend upwardly from the bottom of the tray and which contact the sides of the packages, whereby when the trays are filled and stacked and subjected to refrigerated air, the plates being exposed to the cold air said plates will become quite cold and therefore will transpose this cooling effect to the packages to freeze their contents.

A still further object of the invention is to provide improved trays or containers for receiving uniformly packaged food products in tight fitting compartments, which containers are so arranged as to preserve the original shape of the packages during the freezing thereof, and to prevent warping or expansion of said packages.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure l is an isometrical view of a plurality of trays and a tray cover, constructed in accordance with the invention and shown in a spaced or raised position with relation to one another,

Figure 2 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, showing the trays superimposed or stacked in a tier,

Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the longi-' tudinal spacer plates, and

Figure 4 is an elevation of one of the short transverse spacers.

In the drawing, the numeral l0 designates a rectangular metallic tray, which is preferably constructed of a rust resisting metal such as toncan, stainless steel, copperalloy, or other suitable metal. The tray is formed with a bottom H and sides I2 and i3, the latter having their top edges bent outwardly to form a flange H. A plurality of angular bars or strips i 5 are secured to the underside of the bottom by solder or other suitable means. The bars i5 are spaced equidistant apart and extend parallel to each other as well as longitudinally of the tray.

A metallic false bottom I6, formed by a plate somewhat smaller than the bottom ll of the tray, is attached to the lower surfaces of the bars I5 and extends over substantially the entire area thereof. The ends of the false bottom are open and the plate forming said bottom has its longitudinal edges bent upwardly and outwardly to form flanges H which are fastened to the bottom ii of the tray. Within each tray is provided longitudinal, metallic spacer plates or strips l8 (Figure 3) which have a height equal to the height of the packages to be placed in the tray and less than the depth of said tray, whereby the upper longitudinal edges of the plates are in a plane below the top of said tray. The plates l8 extend longitudinally of the tray and have their vertical edges engaging the end walls of the tray.

After the food product to be quick-frozen has been packed in cartons of uniform size, which is predetermined by the character of the product, the cartons are placed in the tray one layer deep. Each row of cartons is separated by one of the spacer plates I8, which are positioned longitudinally of the tray. As each carton is placed in its row, a transverse, metallic spacer it is inserted in the tray between the cartons. The spacers are of the same height as the plates It and have their lower longitudinal edges engaging the bottom I i of the tray. The vertical edges of the spacers l9 engage the longitudinal plates and-the side walls of the tray and are confined therebetween, whereby a metallic compartment is formed for each carton.

All of the trays are filled with packaged food products in this manner and stacked in tiers.

The bars I! and false bottom It are provided on the underside of each tray so that when they are stacked in tiers, the upper tray will be supported by the upper edges of the plates i8 and spacers it of the tray immediately therebelow, whereby the trays tend to telescope or "nest within each other. Manifestly, each false bottom It serves as a top or cover forthe tray below and also forms, in conjunction with the bars l and bottom ll of the tray, parallel longitudinal ducts or passages 20 whereby air pas-- sages are provided between each tray.

A rectangular, metallic cover IL being slightly smaller and shallower than the trays, is provided for the upper most tray of each tier so that this tray has a metallic covering similar to that of the lower trays. The cover is formed with longitudinal ribs 22 on its upper surface whereby a greater heat conducting surface is provided when the trays are stacked and subjected to refrigerated air of 20 degrees below zero or lower, Fahrenheit temperature. It is pointed out that the trays are positioned so that the open ends of the longitudinal ducts 26 are directed toward the refrigerating medium, whereby the cold air may pass above and beneath each tray and therefore above and beneath each carton.

Since ,thtrays* and'their component parts are constructed of heat conducting metal and since each carton has all of its surfaces contacting one of the metallic members, the refrigerated air will be conducted to each carton whereby all of the sides of each carton and its contents are subiected to heat extraction. Thus the temperature of the contents of the cartons is reduced uniformly by convection. The len th of time and the amount of refrigeration required depends upon the specific heat and moisture content of the particular product. The rapid freezing prevents disruption of the fibrous and molecular structure of the food product and leaves it in its original condition upon thawing to ordinary temperatures.

After the cartons of food products have been quick-frozen, the trays may be emptied and used over again. It is, noted that various sizes of cartons or cardboard containers may be used in the trays due to the fact that the spacer plates and spacers are removable with relation to the tray.

Of course, the length of the, spacers varies according to the width of the cartons placed in the tray.

The word container as used herein refers to the complete freezing unit.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A freezing container including, a shallow body having a bottom and sidewalls, a false botspaced from said bottom to form a duct therebetween, and a plurality of upright spacer members unconnected with each other and located edgewise between packaged food products placed tom secured to the underside of the bottom and within the tray, the spacer members being constructed of heat conducting metal and having their lower longitudinal edges contacting the bottom whereby refrigerated air passing'through the duct extracts the heat from the packages and contents thereof to cool the same.

2. A freezing container including, 'a shallow body having a bottom, and sidewalls, a falsebotimam members unconnected with. each other and located edgewise between packaged food products placed within the tray, the spacer members being constructed of heat conducting metal and having their lower longitudinal edges contacting the bottom, whereby-refrigerated air passing through the ducts extracts the heat from the packages and contents thereof to cool the same.

3. A freezing container including, a shallow body having a bottom and sidewalls, a false bottom secured to the underside of the bottom, the false bottom being spaced from the bottom to form a duct therebetween, a plurality of longitudinal upright spacer members unconnected with each other and located edgewise between each row of packaged food products placed within the tray, and a plurality of short upright spacers adapted to be inserted edgewise between the ends of the packages, the spacers and spacer members being constructed of heat conducting metal and having their lower longitudinal edges contacting the bottom, whereby refrigerated 'air passing through the duct extracts the heat from the packages and contents thereof to cool the same.

4. A freezing container including, a shallow body having a bottom and sidewalls, a false bottom secured to the underside of the bottom, a plurality-of longitudinal bars interposed between the bottom and the false bottom to form longitudinal ducts therebetween, a plurality of longitudinal upright spacer members unconnected to each other and located edgewise between each row of packaged'food products placed within the tray, and a plurality of short upright spacers adapted to be inserted edgewise between the ends of the packages, the spacers and spacer members being constructed of heat conducting metal and having their lower longitudinal edges contacting the bottom, whereby refrigerated air passing through the longitudinal ducts extracts the heat from the packages and contents thereof to cool the same.

5. A freezing container including, a shallow body having a bottom ,and sidewalls, a false bottom secured to the underside of the bottom, the false bottom being spaced from the bottom to form a duct therebetween, and a plurality of upright spacer members unconnected with each other and located edgewise between packaged food products placed within the tray, the members having a height less than the depth of the tray whereby their upper longitudinal edges are in a plane below the top of thebody so that when several trays are stacked the false bottom of each tray is supported on the upper edges of the members within the tray immediately below and is nested within said lower tray. I

6. A freezing container including, a shallow body having a bottom and sidewalls, a false bottom secured to the underside of the bottom and spaced from said bottom to form a duct therebetween, and' a plurality of upright spacer members unconnected with each other and inserted edgewise between packaged food products placed and contents thereof to cool the same.

sonar. HABEN. 

